


Our Hands, Together

by AeroCat



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, F/M, I just want everyone to be alive and happy, It's a tenmiko fic but oumasai will be here too, M/M, this might be a slowburn but I don't know how slow it'll be
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-10-20 18:21:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17627288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AeroCat/pseuds/AeroCat
Summary: Tenko Chabashira's life is turned upside down when she moves into a new apartment.(A story about a small town, the mysteries surrounding it, and the complexities of communication.)





	Our Hands, Together

Tenko Chabashira was known at the dojo for her endless enthusiasm, her fiery temper, and her warm heart.

Sitting on the bus, rain pelleting the roof above, the only thing Tenko felt now were hot tears. This too wasn’t an uncommon occurrence. But sadness was typically accompanied with bursts of emotion: anger, disbelief. This time, it was only the dull ghost of grief that followed her.

Since she was a child, the Shoshinkan dojo had kept her going. Though the dojo had a reputation due to it’s overly nosy and demanding owner, it had never let Tenko down. The rumors were nonsense spread by jealous competition, as her master’s words were never wrong. And as his most senior student, it was Tenko who had been chosen to keep the teachings going when he passed.

Now, that time had come. As the bus rolled to a stop, Tenko peered down at the crumpled, wet piece of paper in her hand. On it was written an apartment number, belonging to a woman she had spoken with briefly online. With her newly established job, she had thought it would be easier to move closer to the dojo. Searching for a room had led her here.

The ad for a roommate had seemed nice enough, and the price was incredible for the area. The woman who had placed the ad had suggested Tenko stop by and chat about living there, so that’s what she was doing. It was just her luck that it happened to be raining that day.

“Okay, Tenko,” she whispered to herself as she stood and dried her eyes. She’d have plenty of time to be sad later. “You’ve got this.”

Tenko approached the apartment complex, doing her best to keep the rain from getting to her spirit. The building was all brick. It was a college town, and the various apartment doorways had unique appearances, most with small flourishes outside the entryways. Her target, the address written on crumpled paper, was all the way at the end. Outside of this particular apartment sat several incredible wooden sculptures and a blue glass orb on a pedestal.

Intrigued by the new sense of adventure, Tenko rapt energetically at the door. What would this potential roommate be like? Despite her best attempts to breathe with control, she could feel the adrenaline getting to her. For the moment, at least, she could feel her sadness subside, replaced with the buzz of anticipation.

“Oh, hello!” A voice full of cheer echoed through the door before opening. “Come in, come in!”

Through the doorway stood a radiant young woman, dressed in simple but expressive clothing. The smell of lavender glided through the air, and soothing faint music, a distant radio, reached Tenko’s ears. The apartment seemed sparsely lit and a bit smoky.

“Angie, right?” Tenko asked as she climbed into a chair that was pulled out for her at the table.

“Yes!” Angie leaned on the table across from Tenko. “And you must be Tenko. Atua told me you’d be here.”

Atua wasn’t a completely unfamiliar concept to Tenko. There was a church of Atua was down the street from the dojo. Tenko didn’t realize that her potential roommate was a part of it, but that was no big deal. Probably.

Tenko would soon find out that it was, in this household, quite a big deal.

Angie wasted no time guiding Tenko around the apartment. Tenko thought this was strange, but Angie insisted that Tenko get a tour. “Atua tells me you belong here,” she remarked, “and that's good enough for me!” The dim interior continued throughout the house, but the plethora of tidy areas gave it a comfortable aura. It was almost magical, Tenko thought, with bright fabrics and decorations wherever they went. The available bedroom that she was shown was small, but she wouldn't be there often anyway. And it had a great window view, facing out into the forest.

When they returned to the kitchen, a loud beep caused Tenko to jump. A drowsy looking, pajama-wearing girl, her complexion pale and red hair sticking out like a bird's nest, had snuck in and stealthily begun using the microwave. Tenko hadn’t even noticed her arrive.

“G’morning,” the girl mumbled. It was almost six in the afternoon.

“I didn’t realize someone else already lived here,” Tenko replied, caught off guard. She was surprised Angie hadn’t mentioned it.

“Mh,” Himiko nodded while watching the microwave spin again with bleary-looking eyes. “The upstairs room is mine. That’s the room best suited for magical regeneration.”

Magical...regeneration?

“O...oh,” Tenko nodded as if she understood. She did not.

The petite woman took the food from the microwave and walked back to the staircase with no additional commentary.

“Now, if you’d please,” Angie cut into the silence, dropping a stack of papers on the table. “Sign these and you too can sit under a roof blessed by Atua!”

Not wanting to leave a bad impression, and with that beautiful window view still on her mind, Tenko began signing without paying much attention to the contents of the paperwork.

-

For the first two weeks, Tenko found herself completely engrossed in her work at the dojo. In her new room she would allow herself time to cry, but when she stepped outside her mind was on taking care of the students. Soon, however, a bit of loneliness had begun to creep into her apartment life. What better way to resolve that than to make friends?

Feeling particularly plucky, Tenko refrained from taking her food to her bedroom and instead sat on Angie’s very cushioned couch. On the other end sat Himiko, the quiet woman from before. She was shuffling cards absentmindedly while leaning back into the sofa, half consumed by the various pillows.

“So you do live here,” Himiko remarked. “You hide away even more than I do...”

“Of course I live here!” Tenko tried to wave off her statement, shaking her hand through the air with a smile. “I just needed some me-time, but now I’m ready to tackle the day again.”

Himiko barely looked at her. Tenko felt an uncomfortable sensation. People rarely outright ignored her, though many grumbled, and at the dojo people greeted her warmly. _Himiko mustn't have heard me_ , Tenko thought as she resumed eating.

“So, what do you have there?” Tenko asked between chomping on her dish of chicken and vegetables.

“Cards from the extraplanar dimension,” Himiko replied, her gaze shifting slightly at the mention of her magical device. “Here, grab one.”

Tenko pulled a card from the splayed stack that was held out to her. Ace of hearts. Himiko cleared her throat.

“Do you remember what your card is?” As Himiko asked, she took the card back without peaking. Several impressive shuffles later, she asked Tenko to inspect the deck. Tenko took it, but her enthusiasm of searching the deck turned to confusion.

“Huh? I can’t find it in here.”

Himiko gave Tenko a sly grin before whistling. A fluttering of feathers echoed from upstairs and a white dove emerged, dropping a card on Tenko’s lap from high above the room. The dove then landed lightly on Himiko’s shoulder.

Sure enough, the card was the Ace of Hearts.

“W-wow! Himiko, that was amazing!” Tenko’s heart raced. What a cool show! And Himiko looked completely different when smiling. It made Tenko feel happy. “That’s an incredible trick!”

Gloom immediately cast over Himiko’s face. “It’s no trick,” she muttered. “Can’t you see? It’s magic.”

“Yes, a magic tr-”

“It’s magic!” Himiko interrupted, increasingly agitated.

“R...right! Of course.” Tenko stammered, wanting to see that smile again. “It was just so amazing that I...couldn’t believe it!”

And this was true. Tenko hadn’t any understanding of how Himiko had pulled it off, though she still believed it to be a trick. The girl in the couch shifted back to facing Tenko, her face warming up again.

“Nyeh-heh, pretty great, isn't it? I do shows every weekend, even when my mana is low.”

“Shows?”

“Yeah, at the Quantum Theater.”

“Ah!” Tenko exclaimed loudly. “That’s near the dojo. The parking lot is always packed on weekends.”

Himiko’s smile curled, her expression sly. “My magic tends to do that.”

Tenko’s own smile broadened. Her conversation might have started on the wrong foot, but now she was talking to someone who was probably a local celebrity. “That’s so cool Himiko!”

Before Himiko could respond to the praise, a lilting voice rang from the kitchen.

“Oh! Tenko, what a surprise! Angie is happy to see you out of your room.”

Tenko waved vigorously. Time to make another friend, after all.

“Yes, Tenko was sad, but feels much better now.”

Angie nodded from around the bags she had been carrying before placing them on the table. “If Tenko learns to listen to Atua, the worry will fall away!”

Himiko hummed low. “Angie must have had a bad time at class,” she mumbled to herself.

Tenko frowned. Angie seemed plenty happy to her. “Is that where you came from? Class?” Tenko asked. “Angie, you go to school here, right?”

“We both do,” Himiko piped up when Angie, who was now humming to herself, didn’t reply. “Angie’s an artist. Everything she does is pretty cool. And I’m a mage.”

“A ... mage?”

“I mean, it’s not like I need to go to school for it, but it’s just to get the paperwork to make it look official. Technically I’m already a mage.”

From the kitchen, Angie’s head popped into view from the entryway. “Himiko is specifically going for an individualized studies major. This means she can choose whatever classes she wants and drop the ones she dislikes! How lucky!” She smiled, mouth cheerful but eyes uncomfortably piercing. Just as quick as Angie had appeared, she ducked back in the kitchen.

Tenko paused, watching Himiko retreat deeper into the pillows. The atmosphere had taken a turn that Tenko wasn’t looking for.

“Hey,” Tenko suggested, loud enough for Angie to hear. “Why don’t we order pizza? We can all watch a movie or something!”

“Not hungry,” Himiko muttered as she pet her dove, her eyes darting away from Tenko.

“Sorry,” a muffled response came from the kitchen. “Atua requires my assistance tonight!”

“Okay! N...no problem everyone.” Tenko stood up, trying her best to perform a convincing yawn.

“Well, I’m going to catch some sleep. Oh, I know! Himiko, maybe tomorrow you can show me the school?” She looked over at Himiko, who's expression remained dull. “I’d love to see it, maybe I could attend classes one day!”

“Hm, maybe. But-”

“Great! Catch you tomorrow Himiko!”

Tenko clapped her hands together as she escaped back to her room. Not the most successful hangout, but it was a start. And tomorrow, she would get to check the town out with Himiko's help.

Watching the sun slowly set from her window, Tenko allowed her mood to fall with it.


End file.
